1. The 9/11 attack had a huge impact on Western foreign policy for two decades, and counter-terrorism was allowed to dominate.
2. There were several major terrorist attacks in the 1970s and 80s, but they received limited coverage compared to 9/11.
3. Terrorism can be an existential threat for some countries with weak governments, but for Western democracies it would only become an existential threat if a group succeeded in obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
The article is generally reliable and trustworthy, as it provides a comprehensive overview of the history of terrorism since the 1970s and its impact on Western foreign policy. The article is well-researched and provides evidence to support its claims, such as the examples of terrorist attacks in the 1970s and 80s, as well as the involvement of nation states in these attacks. The article also acknowledges that terrorism can be an existential threat for some countries with weak governments, while noting that this would only be the case if a group succeeded in obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
The article does not appear to have any biases or one-sided reporting; instead it presents both sides equally by providing evidence to support its claims and acknowledging potential risks associated with terrorism. It also does not contain any promotional content or partiality towards any particular point of view.
The only potential issue with the article is that it does not explore any counterarguments or provide any additional evidence for its claims beyond what has already been mentioned. This could potentially lead to readers forming their own conclusions without being presented with all available information on the topic.